COLUMBUS, Ohio - After defeating Michigan State in a 2-1 overtime thriller Friday and tying Michigan Sunday, the No. 19 Ohio State women's soccer team will look to continue its nine-match unbeaten streak at home this weekend as it prepares for a pair of Big Ten matches against Northwestern at 7:30 p.m., Friday and No. 11 Illinois at noon Sunday.

LAST WEEK: OHIO STATE DOWNS MICHIGAN STATE, TIES MICHIGAN Ohio State moved its unbeaten streak to a program-best nine matches with its win at Michigan State Friday and a tie at No. 11 Michigan Sunday. The Buckeyes, who have not lost since dropping a 2-1 overtime decision to No. 4 Washington Aug. 29, used a late goal by freshman Lara Dickenmann to extend the Spartans past 90 minutes Friday afternoon. Less than two minutes into the extra session, Liz Mumley found Melissa Miller on a corner kick for the game-winner. Sunday, another second-half score by Dickenmann helped OSU tie Michigan at 1-1.

SUNDAY VS. ILLINOIS TO BE BROADCAST ON OSU STUDENT RADIO The Illinois game Sunday will be aired on the Ohio State Univerity's student radio network KBUX. Fans can access the broadcast at www.underground.fm/sports.

Live game stats also will be provided at www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.

OSU UNBEATEN STREAK REACHES NINE MATCHES With the win and tie last weekend, Ohio State pushed its unbeaten string to seven matches. The Buckeyes have not dropped a decision since losing 2-1 in double overtime at No. 3/4 Washington Aug. 29. The Buckeyes only other loss is a 2-1 setback in the season opener against No. 6 Portland Aug. 27 in Seattle, Wash.

During the unbeaten stretch, the Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 19-3 and have registered four shutouts.

STIFLING DEFENSE The Buckeye defense has been remarkable this season, allowing just nine goals through 11 matches for a GAA of 0.76. Over the last nine games, the Buckeyes have only allowed five goals, blanking four opponents - LSU, Louisville, Wisconsin and Purdue - while holding Virginia Tech, Xavier, Indiana, Michigan State and Michigan to just a goal each.

DICKENMANN FIRES AWAY ON MICHIGAN TRIP In two matches against Michigan State and Michigan, freshman Lara Dickenmann struck 15 shots, including 11 against the Wolverines Sunday. Dickenmann accounted for two of OSU's three goals last weekend and now leads the team with 47 attempts in nine matches. The Kreins, Switzerland native averages 5.22 shots per game, which ranks fourth in the Big Ten.

STILL FIRING The Buckeyes hold a decided edge when it comes to shots this season. Currently, Ohio State has fired 232 shots, more than twice as many as its opponents, who have 111. In the shots on goal department, the Buckeyes nearly have tripled their opponents' output with an advantage of 104-43.

In 2003, Ohio State fired 317 shots to their opponents 240. The 2002 season saw the Buckeyes attempt the second-most shots all-time in a season with 350 to their opponents' 233. In 2001, Ohio State registered 273 shots vs. 245 for their opponents.

Ohio State also touts a decided edge in corner kicks with a 68-40 advantage.

OSU-PSU UNBEATEN IN BIG TEN The Buckeyes at 2-0-3 in league play join Penn State, which is 5-0 in conference, as the only unbeatens through the first three weeks of Big Ten action. Ohio State sits in fourth place with nine points and a winning percentage of .700, while Penn State has 15 points at the top of the Big Ten.

Illinois, which visits OSU Sunday, is 4-1 after three weeks, trailing the Nittany Lions by just one game.

OVER, OVER, OVERTIME Ohio State has extended to extra sessions in each of its last three games, gaining one win and two ties. For the season, the Buckeyes have played past 90 minutes in five matches with a 1-1-3 record.

BALANCED SCORING Through nine matches this season, 13 different players on the OSU squad have scored at least one point, while eight Buckeyes have tallied at least one goal. Danielle Dietrich leads OSU with five goals and 13 points, with Lisa Grubb and Heather Miller following closely behind at four goals a piece. Lara Dickenmann, Colleen Hoban and Liz Mumley each have a pair of goals on the season. A trio of Buckeyes - Dietrich, Dickenmann and Carleta Arbulu - lead OSU with three assists.

GAME WINNERS In its six wins this season, Ohio State has had five separate players account for the match-winning score. Lisa Grubb leads the Buckeyes with two game-winners, while Lara Dickenmann, Danielle Dietrich, Heather Miller and Melissa Miller each have registered one game-winning goal. Grubb's two game-winners came at home in triumphs over Xavier Sept. 2 and LSU Sept. 10. Dietrich recorded her score at Louisville Sept. 4. The "Millers" have match-winners against Purdue Sept. 24 - Heather on a penalty kick - and at Michigan State Oct. 1 - Melissa via overtime corner kick. Dickenmann, who netted the tying goal at Michigan Oct. 3, scored the winner against Virginia Tech at JOMS Sept. 12.

MOVIN' ON UP Several Buckeyes have climbed up the all-time charts in the early going this season. Junior Lisa Grubb now holds sole possession of fifth place in career goals with 23 after her four so far this season. Danielle Dietrich has already established a career-best in goals this season with five and has pushed her career total to 10, which is good for ninth place all-time.

Senior Paige Harrison has two assists this season, upping her career mark to 12, which places her at No. 5 all-time as well. Liz Mumley also continues to assend in the all-time assists category as she now has 11 for her career, which ties for fifth in Buckeye annals. Grubb's 10 career assists ties for sixth.

In total points, Grubb now owns 56 to take fifth all-time, while Colleen Hoban now is seventh at 46 points. Mumley also has moved into the Top 10 in scoring with 27 career points.

Grubb also sits among the OSU all-time leaders in shots with 192, which places fourth. Dietrich joins Grubb in the Top 10 with 119 for 10th place. Heather Miller is 12th all-time with 84 shots.

WORD ON THE WILDCATS After outscoring their opponents 9-1 over the weekend, Northwestern comes to Columbus 7-4-1 on the year and 3-2 in the Big Ten. Last weekend the Wildcats defeated Iowa 6-0 and Minnesota 3-1.

The leading scorer for Northwestern is freshman forward Kelsey Hans. Hans has tallied 10 goals and two assists on the year for a team-leading 22 points. Along with Hans, Northwesten also boasts talented sophomore midfielder Shannon Schneeman who has 14 points on five goals and four assists.

The goalkeeper for the Wildcats is sophomore Whitney Jones. Jones is 7-3-1 on the season with 38 saves, two shutouts and a GAA of 0.90.

Jenny Haigh is in her third season as head coach for the Wildcats. Haigh holds a 26-35-8 career record.

BUCKEYES - WILDCATS: ALL-TIME SERIES Ohio State is 6-3-1 against Northwestern. The Buckeyes are 5-0 in Columbus and 1-3-1 in Evanston. Currently Ohio State has a three game unbeaten streak against the Wildcats, going 2-0-1 since a 2-1 loss on Oct. 13, 2000.

LAST MEETING: BUCKEYES BATTLE WILDCATS TO DRAW IN 2003 Ohio State and Northwestern Wildcats played to a 1-1 draw Oct. 12, 2003 in Evanston, Ill. Despite out-shooting the Wildcats by a 19-10 margin, Ohio State could not find the goal until late in the second half.

The Wildcats would strike first in the 34th minute of play when a corner kick by forward Aileen Guiney curved into the goal past OSU goalkeeper Staci Sinkway. The shot was only the fourth goal to get past Sinkway this season.

The Buckeyes would come out firing in the second half posting nine shots and three corner kicks to keep pressure on the Northwestern goal. The work would pay off at the 73:35 mark of play when Heather Miller slipped into the center of the field and nailed a shot to the right of the goal box and past Wildcat goalkeeper Whitney Jones to even the score at 1-1.

The Buckeyes would have their opportunities in the overtime periods to come away with the victory, posting five shots on goal and a corner kick.

ILLUSTRATING THE ILLINI Illinois enters the weekend match with a 10-2 overall record including a 4-1 Big Ten mark. Last weekend the Illini posted wins over Minnesota 4-1 and Iowa 3-2.

The Illini are outscoring their opponents by a 25-6 count. Leading the way for the Illini is senior forward Tara Hurless, who has posted seven goals and five assists for 19 points. Also featured in the Illinois attack is sophomore forward Jessica Bayne. Bayne has 16 points on seven goals and two assists. Goalkeeping duties belong to senior Leisha Alcia. Alcia is 10-2, with six shutouts, 45 saves and a GAA of 0.43.

The head coach for the Illini is Janet Rayfield. Rayfield is in her third season with the Illini and holds a record of 35-17.

OSU-ILLINOIS: ALL-TIME SERIES Illinois leads the all-time series 4-3. Ohio State owns a 2-2 record at Illinois and the Illini hold a 2-1 record in Columbus.

Illinois charged through the gate in the first half scoring just eight minutes into the match, when Jessica Bayne received a pass from Andrea Ridgeway and Kelly Campbell, which she buried past Ohio State goalkeeper Staci Sinkway for a 1-0 advantage. Illinois increased its lead to 2-0 in the 16th minute of play when Bayne found Tara Hurless on a breakaway, which Hurless fired past Sinkway.

Ohio State mounted its best flurry of the night in the second half. The Buckeyes fired six shots and had two corner kicks in the last 10 minutes of the game.

OSU VS. THE BIG TEN Ohio State owns a 44-56-11 record against Big Ten squads. The Buckeyes also have appeared in the Big Ten Tournament nine times and carry a 6-8 record in those contests. The Buckeyes won the 2002 Big Ten Tournament Championship.

Ohio State is 0-2-2 so far this season against ranked opponents. The Buckeyes dropped a pair of games to No. 3/4 Washington and No. 6 Portland to start the season.

Currently, Ohio State's schedule features seven ranked opponents and three teams in the Top 10.

LARGE CROWD WATCHES BUCKEYES DOWN BOILERS A crowd of 1,502 at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium saw the Buckeyes defeat Purdue, 2-1, Sept. 24. The crowd was the second-largest all-time to see a soccer game at Ohio State. On Nov. 3, 2001, Ohio State played host to North Carolina and a record 3,006 patrons filed into JOMS to see the Buckeyes drop a 3-1 decision to the eventual national champion.

HOME SWEET HOME Ohio State has dominated its opponents at home this season. The Buckeyes are outscoring there opponents 18-3 in contests at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium. Ohio State also improved its record to 11-1-3 at JOMS over the past two seasons with its win over Purdue and tie with Indiana.

Over the last two years , the Buckeyes have dominated the Jesse Owens Stadium scoreboard, holding a 39-8 advantage in goals.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING Ohio State is ranked as one of the top teams statistically in the Big Ten this season. Ohio State is ranked first in total shots with 232. The Buckeyes' 2.18 goals per game is ranked third in the league and their 70 total points is fourth best among Big Ten teams. Ohio State also is third in assists per game (2.00) and fourth in total assists (22).The Buckeyes are fourth in corner kicks with 67.

SIX BUCKEYES RANKED AMONG BIG TEN BEST Danielle Dietrich is eighth in the Big Ten in total points (14) and points per game (1.27). Dietrich is ninth in the conference in goals with five. Lara Dickenmann's 5.22 shots per game ranks second in the conference, while her 47 total shots ranks fourth. Lisa Grubb's 44 total shots ranks fifth. Grubb and Heather Miller are tied for ninth in goals with four. Both Dietrich and Carla Arbulu are ranked seventh in the conference in assists with four.

Goalkeeper Emily Haynam is seventh in total shutouts with two and 10th in the conference with 24 saves.

NOLLEN STREAK OF CONSECUTIVE STARTS REACHES 74 Ohio State senior and two-time co-captain Erica Nollen has started every match of her career. Sunday marked her 74th straight start in the game against Michigan. Nollen started all 20 matches in her freshman year and has not missed a contest since.

CLOSE CALLS With its 2-1 victory against Michigan State on Friday, Ohio State has now played in 20 matches decided by a margin of one goal since 2001 and carries a 13-7 mark in those contests. The Buckeyes have excelled in close matches the last three seasons as OSU posted a 4-2 record in 2002 and a 6-3 ledger in 2003.

FRESHMEN MAKING AM IMPACT Ohio State's highest ranked recruiting class - rated in the Top 10 by many publications - is making its presence felt this season. Lara Dickenmann, rated the No. 1 field player in the country, has started nine games, tallied four goals and three assists for 11 points. Keiana Mitchell and Carla Arbulu have posted points as well. Arbulu has four assists while Mitchell has tallied one.

Heather Young scored OSU's first goal of the year in a 2-1 loss to No.6 Portland Aug, 27.

Lindsay Mays and Amanda Ball also have seen their share of playing time, Mays has played in five games while Ball has played in two.

MILLER NAMED OHIO STATE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Senior midfielder Heather Miller was named Ohio State Athlete of the Week Sept. 7, after tying an Ohio State record for goals in a single match with three tallies in the Buckeyes' 8-1 victory over Xavier Sept. 2 Miller is the fifth Buckeye to score three goals in a game the last was Lindsay Eckles, Sept. 8, 2000 against Missouri.

Lori Walker ASSISTS NBC IN ATHENS Lori Walker assisted NBC in covering the 2004 Olympic Games Aug. 13-29 in Athens, Greece. Walker, who served the last three seasons as an analyst for the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), provided color commentary for women's soccer, including the victorious United States gold medal match.

BUCKEYES PARTICIPATE IN KICKS FOR CANCER The Ohio State women's soccer team participated in the eighth annual Kicks Against Breast Cancer Tournament (KABC) April 4, 2004 in Germantown, Md. The Buckeyes set a record for the largest charitable collegiate contribution received by KABC with over $13,000, smashing the previous mark of $8,000. In its eight years, the event has raised over $275,000 for the Claudia Mayer Cancer Resource and Image Center in Columbia, Md.

UP NEXT Ohio State is back in action next weekend with a road trip to meet Minnesota at 7 p.m., Oct. 15, and Iowa at 1 p.m., Oct. 17.